- Thanks to a discovery by an X user, the upcoming Windows 11 update will bring a newly-designed cursor.
- The cursor is related to the much-hyped AI Explorer feature which will be part of the 24H2 update.
- Strings related to AI Explorer indicate that AI models will run locally on the device.
Earlier, we reported that Windows 11’s much-anticipated feature AI Explorer might be exclusive to Snapdragon X series PCs, thanks to a code snippet found by X user Albacore (@thebookisclosed). And now the X user has found some DLLs related to the AI Explorer (AIX) feature which reveals new glyphs and most interestingly, some uniquely designed cursors for Windows 11.
By swapping the DLLs, the user was able to showcase the new cursor. It’s an accented cursor, in a bottle-shaped design which is quite distinct from traditional cursors that we have seen so far. The text selection cursor is also designed differently. The new cursor could be linked to AI Explorer’s screen understanding feature where you select texts on your screen for further AI processing.
Apart from that, the X user also discovered some interesting glyphs and icons related to the AI Explorer feature. There is a Screen Capture feature linked to AIX and its icon is illustrated below.
Moreover, the AIX package throws light on many features including Sidebar Island, Shoulder Tap, Screen Understanding, Intent Engine, Discovery Overlay, etc. Another X user (@PhantomofEarth) has found some AI Explorer-related strings such as screen understanding, AI Host, and more.
It also shows that AI models might run on the device using the on-device NPU. Internal strings related to AIX read: “Screen understanding is paused. Models are not available and need to be downloaded.” Since Snapdragon X Elite comes with a powerful NPU, the chances of running an AI model locally are likely high.
All in all, it’s going to be an exciting time for Windows users as Microsoft is ready to unveil the next version of Windows 11 with the 24H2 update. In addition to that, it will also announce new Surface devices with the Snapdragon X Elite chipset on May 20. Not to forget, Qualcomm is poised to announce the Snapdragon X series on April 24th.
